MYSTERY DOSE

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 144, 14 March 1931, Page 9

MYSTERY DOSE

Death From Morphia GAP IN EVIDENCE Doctor’s Denial In returning a verdict of death from morphine poisoning at the inquest yesterday on Robert Heron, aged 53, fitter, who died in the Wellington Hospital on January 31, the coroner, Mr. I. Salek, said there was no evidence as to how or by whom the morphine had been administered. Beatrice Heron, widow of deceased, said that on January 27 her husband complained of feeling sick. He retired at 9 p.m., and made no further remarks concerning his condition. Witness followed him to bed ten minutes later. In the morning, when witness awoke, she spoke to h>r husband on two occasions at intervals, but he made no reply. Witness secured a doctor and Heron was ordered to hospital. Suffered with Stomach. For the last two years Heron had siiffeied with his stomach. He bad not taken any medicine other than-that pi escribed for him by the doctor. His life was not insured. He left a will which had been made twelve years before. Witness had not had morphia in any form in the home. Witness did not know what morphia looked like. She had never known her husband to take morphia. She did not see him take any medicine on the night of January 27 from the last bottle he had obtained. Heron had not been depressed, rather had he said he was feeling better than he had been feeling for a long time. He had always been of a quiet disposition and witness never knew of what he was thinking. Before' his illness he had slept well, but not after. Witness could not say how he had slept from January 23 to 27, whether profoundly or heavily. He was in permanent employment. Witness, did not know of anything that could have worried him apart from his illness. She did not remember his saying he would get anything to help him sleep. Witness had no reason to think her husband had formed the habit of taking drugs. He had not spoken to her before going to bed on the last night he was at home. She had searched the house for a phial or similar container which might have held drugs, without success.

Dr. R. Bakewell, of Petone, said Heron had consulted him on about January 23. Witness had attended Heron for two or three years. At the last interview Heron complained of stomach pains, and witness prescribed for him. There was nothing in the prescription containing morphia. Heron had not obtained morphine tablets at any time. Had Heron been left alone in witness’s surgery he could not have found any morphine tablets. Statement Refused. Senior-Sergeant Dempsey: It is a fact that the police called on you?—“Yes.’ And you said that, acting on legal advice, you would not make a statement: “I said I would not make a statement until I knew the position—whether the man died. I said I would make a statement later. There was some doubt as to what he died from.” Is morphia very difficult to obtain at the present time, except on medical prescription?—“lt is supposed to be impossible to obtain. I always give a prescription for it.”. . You at no time found in Heron symptoms requiring morphia to relieve. “Never.” ~ Witness said that he would not ordinarily prescribe three grains of morphia to a person. , To Mr. O’Regan (who appeared for Mrs. Heron), witness said Herons symptoms, when he called on witness, were not consistent with morphia poison'"i’o the coroner, witness said Heron had never discussed morphia with him. Constable McNamara produced reports from the Dominion analyst, which stated that 2} grains of morphia had been recovered from Heron’s stomach washings. One grain had been known to cause death. A bottle of medicine which Heron had been taking had been analysed, but showed no trace of morphia. Witness had been unsuccessful in finding out where Heron could have obtained morphia. , , , ' • Dr. P. P. Lynch deposed to having conduetd a post-mortem examination of the body. In the opinion of witness. Heron died from morphia poisoning. ; To Mr. O’Regan witness said it was not possible for morphia to have been produced in the stomach by the interaction of a variety of medicines taken. Mr. O’Regan: It is clear that morphia got into the system somehow. How is a mystery. ___